Colorful Shrimp and Quinoa Salad
I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll say it again. Hubby spoils me. He packs my lunch every morning before work while I’m getting ready. It works out well since we ride to work together. So every morning, he packs me all sorts of healthy snacks to keep me full throughout the day.
I love eating salads for lunch. I usually go with this Massaged Kale Salad with Pear and Pumpkin Seeds. But sometimes I like to mix things up. I was browsing foodgawker and this recipe caught my eye. Lucky for me, we had all of the ingredients on hand!
This Colorful Shrimp and Quinoa Salad kept well in the fridge and did a good job of keeping me full in to the afternoon. I loved the punch of sweetness provided by the pomegranate arils.
One Year Ago: Short Rib Ragu
Three Years Ago: Chicken Sausage, Spinach, Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche
Colorful Shrimp and Quinoa Salad
Shrimp, black beans, and quinoa mixed up to make a great healthy salad
Yield: Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
For the Salad
1 lb steamed shrimp
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 orange, peeled and segments chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup pomegranate arils (about 1 pomegranate worth)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper
For the Dressing
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, microplaned or finely minced
dash of sugar
salt & pepper
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
For the Salad
Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
Combine cooled quinoa with shrimp, red onion, orange segments, avocado, beans, pomegranate arils, cilantro, salt and pepper.
For the Dressing
Add lemon juice, garlic, sweetener, salt and pepper into a small bowl and whisk in oil.
Pour dressing over the salad and stir to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
There is absolutely a time and place for everything! I totally agree. This is such a classic dish, and you’ve made it beautifully. 🙂
Such a great dish. My only complaint is when people use canned green beans. The taste and texture can be killed with canned green beans. I don’t like to hear my green beans screeching while I chew them.
This picture looks delicious, by the way.
I love green bean casserole. It’s one of my favorite holiday recipes. Sometimes we spice things up and add browned ground beef to the green bean mixture and top it with mashed potatoes. This makes it more like a dinner casserole and then I can justify eating plates and plates of it…hahaha.
Ya know, this looks good, but I’ve never been anywhere this was served. Seems I might be missing out?
I completely agree with Joe. I always use fresh or frozen green beans.
We make this every year too at Thanksgiving and Christmas.My 4 kids hate mushrooms so we use cream of celery or cream of chicken.
I completely agree, this recipe is perfect (and very nostalgic) just the way it is on the package. It just wouldn’t feel like a holiday meal without this dish!
This is one of my favorite holiday side dishes! Canned green beans, soup, and all! I agree with you about having the time and place for such ingredients; it’s such a classic and familiar recipe.